ABSTRACT
Background: Toxic alcohols are chemicals with common metabolic characteristics resulting in severe morbidities and mortalities. The current study aimed to assess the efficacy of six scoring systems: The Poison Severity Score (PSS), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, Rapid Acute Physiology Score (RAPS), Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (REMS), and Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) in stratifying the patients exposed to toxic alcohol based on liability of organ failure, prolonged hospital stay, and need for an antidote. Methods: A seven-year retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using medical records of adult patients admitted to a poison control center. Results: About 42.6% were complicated with adverse outcomes. Methanol was the worst toxic alcohol and the only cause of blindness and death. About 27.1% of methanol-exposed patients suffered from acute kidney injury, 15.3% suffered from hemodynamic instability and neurological dysfunction, and 8.5% suffered from respiratory failure. An APACHE II score above 8 was the best predictor of unfavorable outcomes, exhibiting the highest area under the curve (0.972), followed by the SOFA score. The APACHE II score was praised for being the best discriminator of an expected prolonged hospital stay. Yet, the simple scores, including RAPS and REMS, showed good performance as unfavorable outcome predictors with no significant variations to PSS, APACHE II score, and SOFA scores. Conclusion: The current study concluded that though the APACHE II and SOFA scores were superior to others, the RAPS and REMS are good, simple, and effective alternatives, particularly when resources are restricted.
ABSTRACT
Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin condition, and metabolic disorders, such as obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, have long been recognized as distinct clinical entities. However, emerging evidence suggests a complex bidirectional relationship between these seemingly unrelated conditions. Psoriasis is characterized by an accelerated skin cell turnover, resulting in the formation of erythematous plaques with silvery scales. Metabolic disorders, on the other hand, encompass a range of conditions associated with abnormal metabolic processes, including insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and chronic low-grade inflammation. It is intriguing to note that psoriasis is commonly associated with several metabolic comorbidities, with a higher prevalence observed in individuals with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Mounting evidence suggests that chronic inflammation plays a pivotal role in both psoriasis and metabolic disorders. Shared inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP), have been implicated in the pathogenesis of both conditions. Moreover, adipose tissue-derived hormones, known as adipokines, including leptin and adiponectin, exert modulatory effects on immune responses and may contribute to the link between psoriasis and metabolic abnormalities. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search across databases identified 16 eligible studies (1975-2023), totaling 6,623,379 participants. Inclusion criteria encompassed peer-reviewed observational studies focusing on adults and specified outcomes. Data extraction, quality assessment (Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS)), meta-analyses, and heterogeneity evaluations were conducted using rigorous methods. Psoriasis displayed a significant association with diabetes mellitus (DM, 18% increased incidence), hypertension (HTN, 35%), hyperlipidemia (19%), and obesity (25%). Substantial heterogeneity was observed in meta-analyses, particularly for DM. The NOS indicated varied study quality, with some studies categorized as a high or moderate risk of bias.
